FRIDAY
JULY 17
DRAMA
The Outer Limits
Showcase, 7 p.m.The spirit of the creepy TV anthology lives in this filmed-in-Canada series. First broadcast on the U.S. cable channel Showtime, the show was an update of the original Outer Limits that aired in the early sixties. Tonight's show is a standout: Character actor Joe Pantoliano, best remembered from his stint as the mobster Ralph on The Sopranos, plays Stan Harbinger, a popular radio host with a reputation for debunking the supernatural. After a caller claiming to be possessed by aliens sets himself afire, Harbinger is haunted by ghostly images - and the man's distinctive triple heartbeat. Scary stuff.
MOVIE
How I Won the War
PBS, 8 p.m.Released to theatres in 1967, this movie drew notice for the presence of John Lennon in his first and only film acting role (other than Beatles films). Set during the Second World War, the black comedy stars Michael Crawford as British Army officer Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody, the ineffective leader put in charge of a fighting troop inexplicably known as the 4th Musketeers. His charges include Lennon as the lowly Musketeer Gripweed and Roy Kinnear as Musketeer Clapper. The film's anti-war sentiment is evinced in the group's meaningless activities and the platoon's repeated attempts to frag their commander. Not a classic, but Lennon is a surprisingly good actor.
CRIME DRAMA
Heartbeat
TVO, 9 p.m.Set in 1960s Yorkshire, Heartbeat began airing on ITV in 1992 and lasted 18 seasons; on more than one occasion the show earned higher ratings than Coronation Street - no small feat on U.K. television. In tonight's show, the disappearance of a local teenager leads police to suspect her American boyfriend, who was desperately trying to avoid deportation.
FOOD
Chef Abroad
Food Network, 9:30 p.m.Chef Michael Smith is the reason to watch this whimsical series seeking out exciting food experiences around the globe. In this episode, he ventures into the California kitchen of the Internet giant known as Google, where 10,000 meals are served each day. Smith adheres to the local food-prep rules - all ingredients must come from within 150 miles of the company - and adds several new menu items that have the Web-surfers buzzing.
SATURDAY jULY 18
BIOGRAPHY
Role Model: Gene Wilder
TCM, 7 p.m.
This biography of Gene Wilder is a remarkable film. The format has Alec Baldwin sitting down for an extended interview with the famed comic actor, who considers himself "semi-retired". The conversation covers the high points of Wilder's film career, including The Producers and co-writing and starring in Young Frankenstein. More touching are Wilder's memories of wife Gilda Radner, who died from ovarian cancer in 1989.
MOVIE
Wilby Wonderful
CTV, 8 p.m.Filmed on location in Shelburne, N.S., the story follows several residents of a small island named Wilby. Quirky locals include the aggressive real-estate agent Carol (Sandra Oh) and her rugged police-officer husband, Buddy (Paul Gross). Also tossed into the mix is a pre- Juno Ellen Page as the confused teen Emily and Maury Chaykin as Wilby's windbag mayor. The film follows the characters in the days leading up to Wilby's annual festival.
DRAMA
Intelligence
CBC, 10 p.m.Unlike many Canadian-made dramas, Intelligence holds up. Lasting two seasons, the show follows two intertwining storylines: Ian Tracey plays Jimmy Reardon, a likable guy making millions wheeling and dealing high-grade marijuana; Klea Scott is Organized Crime Unit director Mary Spalding, who offered Reardon prosecution immunity in exchange for his work as a police informant. In tonight's first-season episode, Reardon obtains a truckload of phony ATM machines to help him launder his drug money. The bad move: putting his shiftless brother in charge of the operation.
SUNDAY JULY 19
MOVIE
The Wizard of Oz
CBC, 5 p.m.
Holding up astoundingly well for a 70-year-old story, The Wizard of Oz remains the consummate family experience. Viewing the 1939 classic has become a TV tradition, of sorts. Parents who grew up watching Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion trip down the yellow brick road now pass the torch to their kids. Watch it again for the grand performances and such beautiful tunes as Over the Rainbow -voted the greatest movie song of all time by the American Film Institute.
DOCUMENTARY
MegaStructures
TVO, 7 p.m.
It's a safe bet this series is used as a teaching tool in postsecondary courses on architecture and design. Each episode is a detailed primer on a construction project of enormous scope. Some are famous and functional (ie: the Hoover Dam), others are frivolous (the Palm Islands of Dubai). Tonight: The man-made marvel of the Channel Tunnel, the 50.5 kilometre underground rail line that links England and France. The program details the engineering challenges and reveals the fierce competition between the two countries to complete the project.
DRAMA
Desperate Housewives
ABC, A, 9 p.m.
From last season, it's an episode that seems geared toward lean economic reality. Hard times hit Wisteria Lane and the principal Housewives are feeling the pinch. Normally ditzy Susan (Teri Hatcher) is forced to take a job, but full-time work is not a good fit. Slow sales force Lynette (Felicity Huffman) to consider selling the pizzeria. And impish Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) blackmails her hubby's boss into giving him a big bonus.
CRIME DRAMA
Without a Trace
CBS, CTV, 10 p.m.
Actress Nicholle Tom, who played a precocious kid for several seasons of The Nanny, guests as Molly Simons, an online journalist who switched from writing celebrity gossip to hard-hitting exposés. When she disappears, family and co-workers point to an allegedly corrupt politician recently skewered by the reporter. Senior agent Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) has a different theory.
MONDAY
JULY 20
CRIME DRAMA
Law & Order:
Criminal Intent
NBC, CTV, 9 p.m.
The teaming of Detectives Wheeler (Julianne Nicholson) and Nichols (Jeff Goldblum) gave this crime-drama a boost last season. Two years ago CI was relegated to the NBC-owned USA Network - the TV equivalent of being sent to the minors - but the show has returned strongly on the mother network. Tonight: A former Olympic medalist and employee of the Belgian consulate is found shot in the head. The investigation leads the detective duoto the Olympic site selection committee.
COMEDY
Two and a Half Men
CBS, 9 p.m.The simple format of has made Two and a Half Men a constant fixture in syndication, and the show benefits greatly from flawless casting: Neurotic non-alpha male Alan is a role made for Jon Cryer, still every bit as needy as when he was Ducky in Pretty in Pink; sleazy womanizing brother Charlie is played by Charlie Sheen. Tonight, Alan moves out, then moves back, and a lesson is learned. COMEDY
Futurama
Teletoon, 9 p.m.
The only animated series to measure up to The Simpsons, Futurama is a faithful half-hour time-killer. Both series were created by Matt Groening, but Futurama presents more fanciful scenarios -it's set in the year 2999 . And like The Simpsons, the show can devote an entire story to one character without breaking pace. Tonight the foul-tempered Bender joins the robot mafia, but is taken aback at his assignment: robbing his employers at Planet Express.
REALITY
Dating in the Dark
ABC, CITY-TV, 10 p.m.
Starting tonight, it's a new spin on Love Connection. Billed as a "sexy social experiment," the series format is a doozy: Three single men and three single women are placed in separate wings of a house. While forbidden from seeing each other in the light, the two groups are allowed to mingle in complete darkness; they can't see each other, but viewers can watch via infra-red cameras. Near the end of every episode, each participant will describe what they believe to be their dream-lover to a police sketch artist. And when everyone comes into the light, each person has to make the decision whether to pursue the romance, or move on. Ain't love grand?
TUESDAY july 21
BIOGRAPHY
Like Each Day Was Your Last: A Journey with
Justin Hines
Bravo!, 7 p.m.
The name Justine Hines may not sound familiar, but you know his voice. The 27-year-old singer from Newmarket, Ont., has recorded two albums that have received healthy radio airplay and recently sang There's No Place Like It in a TV commercial for Tourism Ontario. Hines suffers from a rare genetic joint condition called Larsen's syndrome, which keeps him wheelchair-bound. This program recounts Hines's career dating back to his first big break - singing the national anthem at a Toronto Raptors game - and follows him on his first international concert tour. He's a true inspiration.
REALITY
Hell's Kitchen
Fox, CITY-TV, 8 p.m.
The sixth edition of the reality cooking series has a Canadian connection: The top prize is the head chef position at the posh Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, B.C., just in time for the Olympic Winter Games. The two-hour premiere drops the 16 amateur chefs into chef Gordon Ramsay's gruelling culinary boot camp. In a slight rules tweak, the signature dish challenge will now be a team challenge, pitting men against women. But couldn't they have included at least one Canadian contestant?
DOCUMENTARY
Child Genius 2
TVO, 9 p.m.
A follow-up to the acclaimed program Child Genius, this sequel series tracks the progress of some very gifted kids. Each of the child prodigies is now 13 and each appears intent on impressing the world in his or her own unique way. The driven Aimee practises piano seven days a week and recently won a prestigious music competition. Home-schooled Michael is writing his fourth novel while simultaneously expanding his interests in ancient Greek and particle physics. And his friend Dante is far beyond his years in his comprehension of neuroscience.
COMEDY
Hope & Faith
CMT, 10 p.m.
Go ahead and laugh, but I like this show. First shown on ABC from 2003 to 2006, the low-key sitcom starred ex- Murphy Brown mainstay Faith Ford as Hope - a married homemaker with three kids - and Kelly Ripa as her sister Faith, a former soap-opera star whose character was bumped off. Both women are talented comic performers and their chemistry is augmented by simple sitcom scenarios. Tonight, country star Clint Black guest stars as Hope's former high-school beau who comes for a visit. Does Faith take a shine to the hunky cowpoke? You really don't have to ask, do you?
WEDNESDAY July 22
REALITY
Wipeout
ABC, CITY-TV, 8 p.m.
They say no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American viewing public, and here's your proof. A ratings success in its sophomore season, Wipeout puts foolhardy contestants through the world's largest extreme obstacle course. The show is promoted as some sort of ersatz athletic contest, but what really keeps viewers coming back are the face plants. Tonight, the players include a substitute schoolteacher and a clumsy chef, who compete in three decidedly non-Olympic events: the log roll, wedge turntables and fender benders. Be amazed and amused at how seriously the contestants take the competition.
HISTORY
Time Team America
PBS, 8 p.m.
Launched two weeks ago, this new series follows a team of scientists and historian into the trenches of intriguing archeological sites. Tonight, they travel to scenic New Philadelphia, Ill., to dig for the remains of the first American town founded by former slaves. Historical evidence reveals New Philadelphia was created by ex-slave "Free Frank" McWorter way back in 1836. The Time Team pulls out all stops to find remains of the pre-Civil War schoolhouse where African-American children learned to read and write in freedom.
REALITY
Toddlers and Tiaras
TLC, 10 p.m.
A surprise hit last January, this TLC reality series focuses on child-beauty-pageant contestants and their stage parents standing in the wings. The program airs sans narration, presumably to maintain objectivity, but most of the parents shown on the first season were extreme cases. The format holds in the second-season opener, which is filmed at the Universal
Royalty pageant in Austin, Tex., where roughly 100 young contestants elbow each other for the $1,000 top prize. The fan favourite: Cameron Fletcher-Cantu - already a pageant veteran at seven years of age - but the judges are also eyeing six-year-old fraternal twins BreAnne and AshLynn.
TALK SHOW
The Hour
CBC, 11 p.m.
A rebroadcast from last season features an engaging chat with TV and film veteran Garry Marshall. The Bronx-born Marshall is best known as the man who created Happy Days for television and the director of such big-screen hits as Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries. He's also no slouch as an actor and recently appeared in the film remake of Escape from Witch Mountain and even provided a guest voice on a memorable episode of The Simpsons (he played a carny-type promoter named Larry Kidkill). Host George Stroumboulopoulos helms a lively chat with the Hollywood legend.
THURSDAY JULY 23
FOOD
Restaurant Makeover
Food Network, 8 p.m.
Imagine if you were allowed to make menu suggestions and improvements to your favourite restaurant - and they listened! Each outing in this popular Food Network series challenges two culinary hotshots to revamp a flagging eatery. In this episode, chef David Adjey and designer Glen Peloso are airlifted in to help a couple named Edward and Natasha, who are struggling with a restaurant called Jonathan's. The couple inherited the place from Natasha's father, along with all the usual headaches. Despite the prime location, the menu is a mish-mash and nobody's eating there. Adding more pressure: The couple are expecting their first child, and the baby fund is the only money available for renovation. Dare they take the risk?
COMEDY
Samantha Who?
ABC, 8:30 p.m.
ABC has officially pulled the plug on this offbeat sitcom after two rocky seasons. Launched in 2007, the show starred former Married ... with Children regular Christina Applegate as a woman who suffers a hit-and-run accident and comes out of a coma with retrograde amnesia; she was fully functional, but had no memories of her past. In the last show, Samantha's best pal Andrea (Jennifer Esposito) is set to marry a gay pro-basketball player. At the same time, Samantha has to choose between her ex-boyfriend Todd (Barry Watson) and the eccentric billionaire Winston Funk (Billy Zane). After this show, Samantha Who? goes straight to DVD.
DRAMA
Doc Martin
PBS, 8 p.m.
Devotees of this endearing British comedy-drama take note: Filming has already commenced on a fourth season, which will air early next year. For now, fans will have to be content with old episodes and love is in the air with tonight's outing. Dour Dr. Martin Ellingham (Martin Clunes) suddenly finds himself pursued by the glamorous hotel-owner Carrie Wilson (Louise Delamere) and the lovely Louisa (Caroline Catz). At least one of his admirers loses interest when Doc Martin runs over her dog.
MOVIE
Childstar
Bravo!, 9 p.m.
Canadian filmmaker Don McKellar held true to his indie-film roots with this breezy 2004 feature. McKellar directed and co-wrote the story and assigned himself the pivotal role of Rick, an aspiring documentarian reduced to working as a limo driver. Rick's life becomes chaos when he chauffeurs around a spoiled preteen TV star named Taylor (Mark Rendall), in Toronto to shoot his first movie. When Taylor runs away from the film set, Rick turns mentor and father figure. Worth watching for Alan Thicke as the young star's TV-sitcom father - a role not far removed from his old days on Growing Pains.